Improvement in cylinder-cocks for locomotives



c. H. HOPKINS.

Cylinder Books for Locnmo'tives, &c.

NO ISGJZ L PatentedMacchHJBZi.

I Wwess, I I

UNITED LTS rArns 1 rmnmomee.

CHARLES H. HOPKINS, oFfLYNDoNvnmn, VERMONT.

"IMPROVEMENT I N CYLlNDER-COCKS FOR LOCOMOTIVES, &c.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 136324, dated March 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. HOPKINS, of Lyndonville, in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improved Steam- Cylinder Cook for Locomotives; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in W1ll0h- Figure l is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section in a vertical direction through the chamber; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the chamber at line F of Fig. 2.

My invention relates to a valve or device to be attached to the cylinder of a locomotive, to be used. for blowing off the water or condensed steam which accumulates in the cylinder, on

both sides of the piston 5 and it consists of a reservoir provided with a threaded plug, by means of which it is attached to the cylinder, and the reservoir has a perforated threaded nut turned into one end, through which moves a short rod. This rod has a plunger or piston upon its inner end, which has its bearings, as it reciprocates withinthe reservoir, against a series of ribs extending along the inner surface of the reservoir in a longitudinal direction, the

spaces between which furnish a free passage for the steam or water in passin gout. A spring is inserted within the reservoir, one end of which bears against the inner end of the reservoir and the other end against the plunger,

'operating to keep the latter firmly pressed against the inner end of the threaded nut, thereby closing the passage from the reservoir out through the nut, the latter having a hole therein to permit the escape of steam whenever the rod is forced in, moving the plunger in against the spring and away from its seat at the end of the nut. A projection is made upon the side of the reservoir, having a hole therein, which serves as a guide to a longitudinally-moving rod provided with an ad justable finger, which operates the short rod and plunger in the reservoir.

That others skilled in the art may be able to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the drawing, B represents a cylindrical reservoir, provided with a threaded plug, A, by means of which it is attached to the cylinder of a locomotive-engine, and the open end of the reservoir has a screw-thread therein,

' into which is turned a threaded nut, D, which nut has a hole, 0, therein, shown in Fig. 1. The reservoir B is provided with ribs a, shown in section in Fig. 3, extending longitudinally along the inner surface thereof, and may have a projection, 1), upon the inner end upon which is placed a spiral spring, h. A piston or plunger, f, isplaced within the reservoir, having its bearings against the longitudinal ribs a, and said plunger may have a central projection, i, thereon, over which is placed one end of the spiral spring h, and said spring is kept in a proper central position with reference to the axes of thereservoir and plunger by these two projections b and 1". The plunger has also a rod, E, thereon, which extends out through the opening in the outer end of the nut D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the plunger is held up against the inner end of the nut D by the action of the spring h, and also by the pressure of the steam and water within, the end of the nut being fitted to form a seat against which the plunger rests. The reservoir has a protuberance, (3, upon one end, having a hole, 6, therein, into which is inserted a longitudinally-sliding rod, g, and upon this rod is secured a finger, n, which may be moved along the rod to any desired position and secured by a'set-screw, d. The rod 9 may be of any desired length, and is connected with other rods extending to thecngine-cab, where it may be conveniently operated by the e11- gineer.

The operation of the device is as follows: The finger n being secured to the rod 9 in a position just in rear of the plunger rod or stem E, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, if the engineer desires to open the cock to blow oil the condensed steam from the cylinder, the cock being attached to the cylinder underneath, and in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, he moves the rod 9 in alongitudinal direction,

the rod sliding along in its guide 0, and the finger n impinging against the end of the rod or stem E, forcing it in, and moving the plunger away from the inner end of the nut 1). The condensed or live steam, either, is free to then vpass around the plunger through the spaces between the longitudinalribs a, and thence out through the nut D and the orifice 0 therein. If the pressure is removed from the sliding rod g the spring h operates to force the plunger f back against its seat on the inner end of the nut D, and the passage is then closed, preventing any further escape of steam; the rod E in its outward movement also forcing backthe finger n and rod g, although the latter may be moved back independent of the movement of the rod E, if desirable.

In practice, the reservoir may be reversed in its construction-that is to say, the end of the reservoir into which the nut D is secured may be made solidbut provided with an opening through which the rod E should protrude, and with a proper seat for the plunger to rest against, and also anorifice, 0, for the water and steam to escape; and the nut D could then be placed at the rear or opposite end of the reservoir to support the end of the spring h; and in either construction the operation of the plunger f, stem E, finger n, and rod g would be precisely alike.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An improved steam-cylinder cock, consisting of the reservoir B, provided with the guide 0 and internal longitudinal ribs a, the spring h, plunger f provided with its stem or rod E, t'ie finger n, and the longitudinally-sliding rod g, all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein described.

CHARLES H. HOPKINS. Witnesses:

T. A. CURTIS, G. E. BUCKLAND. 

